New Directions
by Helen Palsgraf
Summary: Post-S3: The Summer of 2007. An introspective little romp through Veronica's summer vacation. Thanks for all the great feedback! Keep it coming! NEW: Chapter 15.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_Wednesday, July 25, 2007_

_We're fire and ice_, she thinks, stuffing the last few items into her bag with a sigh. Her version of revenge may be cold, calculated and, well, usually, nonviolent, but it was just as harmful as Logan's fists, if not more so. She thinks if she'd been born a man, tall and muscular, she might save herself a lot of time and effort by simply beating the living shit out of the people who piss her off. However, she's small and blonde, and has to carry a Taser for protection. So instead, she relies upon her devious mind when evening the score. Except when she really wants to Tase someone.

However, the repercussions can be just as damaging. She had ripped into Logan for going off half-cocked, beating up her boyfriend because he wrongly believed Piz had videotaped them messing around. _You're a lunatic_, she'd told him. He beat up an innocent man, without even bothering to get all of the facts. Doing so, he trashed his relationship with Parker, put a strain on their friendship, and had managed to plant a pretty big rift between her and Piz.

She, on the other hand, had managed to trash both her and her father's careers by seeking payback for the sex tape. Unfortunately, it proved futile, since the person responsible is completely untouchable: Gorya Sorokin. Well, untouchable if she doesn't want to bring down the wrath of the Russian mob. Not that it mattered to Logan; he didn't have any more of a problem punching him in the face than he had punching Piz. However, she noted Gory walked away from his altercation with Logan not nearly as bad off as Piz had been after their altercation. Her boyfriend had been right: Logan still loved her. How fucked up is that?

She lies down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her summer was supposed to be a lot different. Her father was supposed to be elected as Sheriff, she was supposed to be interning at Quantico, and Piz was supposed to be waiting for her when she got back. Instead, she's in Neptune, Dad's once again out of his job and chasing bail jumpers to make ends meet, and Piz left abruptly for New York City. Wallace is furious with her, and she's pretty sure Parker will never speak to her again. Mac is still speaking to her, although it's awkward with her in the middle of things with Parker.

Business at Mars Investigations, however, has been booming, and with her father up to his ears in bail jumpers, she's been picking up the slack. Her newest case this week has been tracking an '09er housewife who absconded with a significant amount of her husband's cash, her personal trainer, and her mother-in-law's beloved Pomeranian, just for spite. The husband hired her to get the dog back; his lawyers advised him he was smart to let her have what money she took, since their prenup could be easily made void by his own indiscretions, but he'd pay anything to get the dog back. At $1500 a day, she's turning over every rock until she finds that damned dog.

She hears a knock at the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two Tuesday, May 8, 2007

"The headline story today…Acting Sheriff Keith Mars has been defeated in a landslide victory by challenger Vinnie Van Lowe. Although Mars was leading in the polls prior to Election Day, the news that he was being indicted for evidence tampering concerning a break-in at software tycoon Jake Kane's personal residence cost him the election. Mars has since been booked and released on bond. His attorney, Cliff McCormick, states there is no proof that Mars had tampered with the DVR, and that other members of the Balboa County Sheriff's Department also had access to the evidence room. This is not the first time evidence connected with the Kane family has been lost while in the custody of the Sheriff's Department. Under the supervision of the late Sheriff Don Lamb, tapes said to depict murder victim Lilly Kane engaging in sexual intercourse with film star Aaron Echolls…"

Piz shut off the TV in disgust at the name Echolls and threw her remote control at the wall. Veronica sat quietly in the corner, staring at her hands, not even flinching at the sound.

She tried explaining to him as best she could what happened with their pseudo-sex tape, the trail that led her first to The Castle and then to the Kane mansion to commit burglary. She tried to explain why she needed to get payback, and that she couldn't just let this go, damn the consequences. She also made the mistake of explaining Logan's motivations for beating him up, and for jumping to the wrong conclusion that he was responsible for the camera. She tried to convince him that it wasn't that Logan was in love with her that he was so outraged about it; it's because of what his father had done to Lilly. The secret tapes Lilly had discovered, that lead to him murdering her, and framing Duncan. The secret tapes that had been so important to keep out of public circulation that he was willing to risk his father being acquitted for Lilly's murder, and risk criminal charges of his own for destroying evidence. The secret tapes that Logan knew Lilly would have readily used to whatever advantage she could find, perhaps even publishing them herself, if she hadn't been murdered. For Logan, their video was a humiliating reminder of the most tragic year of his life. The breakup with Lilly, Lilly sleeping with Logan's father, Lilly's murder by Logan's father, Veronica's father pointing the finger at Jake Kane, the wrong man being convicted for Lilly's murder, the exposure of his father's infidelities, his mother's suicide, his father's acquittal and subsequent murder.

Their conversation had come to a halt when the newscast finally aired. She quietly continued.

"It's just that the idea that you would video tape us being intimate, with all he's been through, all that I've been through, it just sent him over the edge. I'm not saying it excuses it, but I just wanted you to know why."

"Veronica, I know why. It's written all over his face – he's still in love with you. And, you know, it just isn't one-sided," Piz said flatly.

Veronica looked up in surprise. "No, I care about you. I want to be with you."

"But you're _in love_ with _him_," he said, picking up his bag and walking towards the door. "I'm leaving tonight for New York. Wallace is giving me a ride to the airport. Have a good time in Virginia."

He closed the door behind him, leaving a shocked, confused Veronica to cry softly. The consequences were catching up to her. She had gotten a call from the Bureau that morning, rescinding her internship offer. It seems someone had gotten wind of her possible involvement with the Kane burglary, which then turned up some chatter about her possible involvement with spiriting Duncan Kane and his infant daughter out of the country. With all the possible involvements, they were unable to grant her security clearance and, therefore, she could not complete the internship. She was welcome to apply again next year, if her legal difficulties were resolved. She knew they wouldn't be. Jake Kane might not be pressing charges for the burglary, but he, or at least Clarence Wiedman, would make sure she paid. That's how it works after all.

Piz never returned any of her calls or emails. She got an email from him six weeks later saying he was transferring to NYU and he wished her the best of luck. She replied she wished him the same, and cried again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

"Dad!" Veronica called for him. No response. "Dad?"

For the second morning in a row, he was already gone when she woke up. She wasn't even certain he came home last night. He'd gone directly to the office after he was released on bond, in order to kick-start business. She met him at the office, and they both worked on paperwork until 2am, when she finally headed home. He never asked her why she broke into Jake Kane's home. She never asked him why he destroyed the evidence that could implicate her in the burglary. They simply understood one another, and the questions didn't need to be asked. It was over, the harm was done, and Cliff was certain the prosecutor would drop the charges so long as Jake Kane wasn't hounding him about pursuing it. Veronica assured them Jake Kane was no longer a problem. No further questions were asked, and no answers were forthcoming.

She heard a knock on the door. She could see the outline of the person outside: Wallace.

"Hey, Buddy, you're up early!" she said brightly.

"Early? Veronica, it's 12:30," he responded, walking into the apartment.

"Exactly! I fully intended to sleep the day away. So, what's up?" she said, pouring herself a glass of juice and chugging it.

"Just came to say good-bye to my BFF, since I'm leaving tonight for Africa," he replied, nonchalantly.

She gasped, and threw her arms around him. "That's today! Oh, Wallace, I can't believe you're leaving already!"

After they separated, she could see there was something bothering him. "Uh oh, what's wrong?"

He frowned and shook his head. "Man, Piz is what's wrong, Veronica. I told you not to break his heart. He's a really good guy, he deserved better."

She gave him an incredulous look. "I didn't break his heart! He left! I tried to explain everything that happened and…"

"Yeah, I know, Veronica," he interrupted. "It's never your fault you leave a trail of destruction when it comes to your love life. Duncan and Leo and Logan and Duncan and Logan and Logan again and Piz and Logan yet again…"

"Wait, there's too many Logans in there…" She rolled her eyes, not appreciating Wallace throwing her track record in her face.

"No, Veronica, there's not. Man, Piz heard you, heard what you said about still being in love with Logan," he said, sitting on the couch. "What are you doing messing around with Piz when you're still in love with your ex?"

"What? I never said that…" she said slowly, sitting beside him.

"Apparently you did. You were talking to Mac after Logan punched that Gorya guy."

"Oh no," she groaned. "Whatever he heard, it was completely out of context."

"Veronica, are you in love with Piz?" he asked, point blank.

She hesitated, and sighed. "No. But I care about him, and I want to be with him. And maybe love will come with time."

"Yeah, when do you think that'll happen?" he asked, skeptically.

She sighed again. "It's what I told Mac, when I'm completely over Logan."

"Yeah, that's what Piz heard. And that's why he's gone." She could hear the anger in his voice. "I don't think he's coming back, either."

"Wallace, I'm --"

"Veronica, you play fast and loose with these guys' feelings. You know how bad you wrecked Logan, and then still toyed with him, even when he was with Parker. Then you toyed with Piz. It's not cool. And I'm stuck in the middle, because they're all my friends."

"Wallace, that's not fair," she could feel her eyes filling up with tears. Having her best friend criticize her like this was the worst feeling in the world. "I'm not toying with anyone. At least not intentionally."

"Veronica, you are my best friend, and I love you like you were my sister. But, man, I'm ashamed of you right now."

The tears started falling down her face, and she nodded. "I'm sorry."

He sighed, and put his arm around her. "Look, I just want you to be happy. And if being with Logan makes you happy, well, I guess then you should go for it. But just really think about what you're doing before you go down that road again, and how much wreckage you're gonna create when it goes bad again. This make-up, break-up shit with Logan, it gets old."

"I'm not getting back with Logan," she whispered into his shoulder.

"Not yet," he sighed. "We'll see what the status is when I get back from Africa."

After a few moments, he planted a kiss on her forehead and said, "Come on, I don't want to spend our last few hours together like this. The lecture is over, I promise. Go get dressed, let's grab some lunch before you take me to the airport."

* * *

They picked up lunch at their favorite beachside restaurant and, arms linked, walked along the beach. They spent the afternoon flying Wallace's latest airplane model, and throwing the ball for Backup. It was a beautiful afternoon spent with her best friend. Even though she knew how badly she had disappointed him, and how badly she was going to miss him over the summer, she could still just relax and enjoy the day.

* * *

"Wallace…" Veronica started, as Alicia walked away to grab a luggage carrier and give them a moment to say good-bye.

She pulled him close and hugged him tight as she fought back tears. "I am so proud of you for going on this trip. And I am so grateful for you… grateful you are always honest with me, even when I don't want to hear it. You are my best friend. I love you and I'll miss you so much."

"I love you, too, Veronica," he squeezed her back, choking back a few tears of his own.

* * *

"Dear Piz,

I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. Wallace told me a few things today that made why you left like you did a little clearer. Whatever you heard me say to Mac about Logan, you have to know that I don't want to be with him. I want to be with you. I hope when you come back, we'll have another chance. I don't want to end things between us; we were just getting started. I hope you're having a fantastic time in NYC.

Missing you,

Veronica

P.S. I decided to stay in Neptune this summer to be with my dad. I'll be here when you get back."

She sent the email and before she closed her laptop, she clicked on a folder full of old photos. She smiled as she looked at Lilly's sparkling eyes and beautiful face. Life was so perfect then. If only things hadn't gone so badly. She doubts she would have ever been with Logan if Lilly had lived. Therefore, she wouldn't miss him so badly that sometimes it even kept her up at night.

Tonight was one of those nights.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Monday, May 14, 2007**

"Veronica! You will not believe what happened to me today! Call me when you get this!" Mac's voice screeched through her phone.

Just as Veronica was about to call her back, Mac busted through the door of Mars Investigations, flushed and grinning.

"You are so not going to believe what happened to me today!" Mac beamed.

"Big sale at Best Buy?" Veronica teased.

"Best Buy? Who shops at Best Buy?" Mac looked momentarily confused. "I got a job offer, and you'll never guess where."

Veronica shrugged. "I give up."

"Kane Software." Mac stood back, waiting for it to sink in.

"I'm sorry, what?" Veronica sputtered, looking aghast.

"You heard me. I got a phone call from one Clarence Wiedman this morning, saying that Mr. Kane has a proposition for me and wanted to speak with me…"

_"Have a seat, Ms. Mackenzie. Can I offer you something to drink?" Jake Kane sat at his executive desk in the extravagant office._

"_Uh, no, thank you, I'm good. Sir." Mac shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was dressed unusually conservative, in a light blue button-up shirt, gray skirt and matching jacket. She was most uncomfortable in the chunky heels she'd chosen. _What the hell am I doing here?_ she thought._

_"I'll cut to the chase. I realize Veronica Mars is a bright girl, but there is no way she has the brains to crack the best security the industry has to offer, in less than 24 hours. Her talents are better suited for activities such as burglary."_

_To Mac's credit, the usually fidgety girl sat stoic, giving nothing away. She'd learned a thing or two from Logan these past few months; she had learned the importance of a good poker face when it came to high stakes._

"_So, obviously, she must have had help. I'm thinking that help most likely came from her friend Cindy Mackenzie." Kane leaned back in his chair with his hands folded in front of him. He studied the girl, waiting for a response. When she gave none, he continued._

"_Now, the question is, what am I supposed to do about such a security breach? The persons responsible for that breach now possess incredibly sensitive information. So, do I have them arrested?" He stared Mac down pretty hard, but still, no response._

"_Or do I recognize rare talent when I see it, and offer you a job?"_

_At this, Mac looked slightly confused. "You're offering me a job? Didn't you just accuse me of being a security threat?"_

"_Correct, on both counts. I think you'll find a position here at Kane Software to be an excellent opportunity for a young lady of your caliber. The only thing I demand is loyalty. I expect that your loyalties will be with us, and not with the purulent interests of the Mars family."_

"Purulent? Really?" Veronica scrunched up her nose in offense.

"Maybe it was petulant. Oh, or impudent. Anyway, I can't remember. I just can't believe it! So, I'm interning this summer, and I start tomorrow! After that, I'll be working part-time until graduation and I have a six-figure job waiting for me when I'm done!" Mac shrieked in excitement.

"That's great, Mac. I'm really happy for you," Veronica smiled.

Mac's smile faded. "Oh. You aren't upset, are you? I mean, I know you don't like the Kanes, but it's just business."

"Mac, I'm thrilled for you. This is an awesome opportunity, and you are going to be amazing. And, you know, someday, like, 17 years from now, Duncan's going to come back, and I know he'll be glad you're running his family's company." Veronica smiled at the thought.

Mac smiled back at her, pleased at the compliment.

Veronica took a breath and acknowledged the elephant in the room. "How's Parker?"

"Parker's… well… she's all right. She's miserable being with her family all summer. You know how they are. But for the whole break-up thing, well, it's tough," Mac shifted uncomfortably, not making eye contact.

Veronica nodded. "Next time you talk to her, tell her hi for me? I miss hanging out with her. I hope that what happened… well, I hope we'll still be friends. Good friends are hard to come by, and I really appreciate the ones I've still got."

Mac smiled sadly. "I know. I'll tell her. So… have you talked to Logan at all?"

"No, I haven't. I figure if I want to try to salvage things with Piz, I just need to keep my distance. How's he doing? Having fun with his BFF?"

"Whew, Dick's a mess, I think he's getting worse. He tried to kiss me again, I don't know what the hell his problem is. Logan's good though. He seems to be in a good place for the first time in, well, a long time."

"I'm glad he's got you as a friend, Mac," she smiled. "And how's Max doing?"

A blush crept up her face at the mention of his name. "Really good. We're moving in together."

"Mac! Oh my God!" Veronica laughed, imagining the nerdy love nest the two would create. "That's great, I'm happy for you. Things are great for you!"

"Yeah! They are!" Mac grinned. "Well, I've got to go, Max and I are going someplace nice to celebrate tonight. I'll catch ya later!"

Veronica sat back down at the receptionist desk after Mac left the office. She smiled, thinking of how much her friend Mac would soon accomplish. A six-figure job at Kane Software meant beginning to live the lifestyle that was rightfully hers. Only she would be earning that lifestyle, rather than living it undeservedly like Madison Sinclair.

Madison Sinclair. Just the thought of that witch made her ill. She still can't look at her without wanting to rip out all of her hair. She knows it's not just jealousy. She doesn't feel that way about Parker. There's just something particularly vile about Madison, and she knows she only slept with Logan to stick it to her, and to Dick.

She starts another email to Piz.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Thursday, June 7, 2007_

"Logan, have a seat. I'll be honest, I was a bit surprised to hear from you. What's this about?" Jake Kane gestured for Logan to sit, and had a seat himself. He reached for his Scotch, something Logan noted he had probably been doing a lot of lately, since Celeste kicked him out. He noticed his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked a little pale. If anyone knew the look of someone attempting to hide his or her alcoholism, it was Logan.

Logan exhaled and frowned, looking at his hands. "Have you heard from Duncan at all since he left?"

"No, I haven't. I honestly don't expect to until his child reaches majority age and it is safe for him to return to the States without facing prosecution." Logan could hear the pain in the man's voice. For all of his sins, he genuinely loved his children.

Logan shook away the remorse he felt at betraying Duncan and Lilly by being here. _But if they knew what he'd done..._ _Just do this_, he ordered himself. He decided to just go all in and put his cards on the table. "How would he feel to know that you ordered the murder of beloved film star, and freshly acquitted murderer, Aaron Echolls?"

Jake looked at him strangely for a moment, and then responded, "You're serious?"

Logan didn't answer.

"Let me guess, you hired Keith Mars to investigate your father's murder, and he's decided I'm the guy," his voice raising. He gulped down the remainder of the Scotch and poured another glass. "Well, Keith Mars will be behind bars himself soon enough, since he destroyed the evidence that implicated his daughter in burglarizing my home. Out of loyalty to Duncan, and Lilly, I'm not going to go after Veronica, but Keith, on the other hand, he's finished."

"That's why I'm here. If you leave Veronica alone, and you… use your influence to get the prosecutor to drop the charges against her dad, I won't turn over the evidence I have implicating you in my father's murder," Logan said evenly.

"Evidence? What evidence? I had nothing to do with your father's murder, Logan. I am not a killer," he looked at him incredulously.

"No, you're not. But Clarence Wiedman doesn't have a problem with it," he finished, pulling a manila envelope out of his backpack. He threw the package on the table, waiting for Jake to pick it up.

Jake picked up the envelope and pulled out the contents. The photographs were time and date stamped, and showed Clarence Wiedman leaving the Neptune Grand through a service entrance at the time of Aaron Echolls's murder.

"Where did you get these?" Jake demanded.

"Easy. The police checked the security tapes at the Neptune Grand, but between the commotion of a high-profile murder, an explosion on a plane carrying the mayor, and the added distraction of Cassidy Casablancas jumping off the roof, the police were a bit off their game. Everyone was looking at the surveillance tapes from the Neptune Grand, and from across the street. No one noticed that there is a little pizza joint that shares a rear parking lot with the Neptune Grand, a rear parking lot reserved for staff. Being a resident of the Neptune Grand, I'm in that pizza joint a lot, and sometimes when they're understaffed, I've even run the hotel orders over for them. Isn't that hilarious? Logan Echolls, pizza boy?" he stopped to grin at Jake Kane for effect. "Anyway, it had been a regular target of the PCHers in the past few months, some vandalism, some petty theft. So they installed a security camera. The week after I was there for a slice, and in chatting with the owner, I realized the cops never collected the tapes. So, I helped myself. And that's when I found out that my best friend's dad had my dad shot in the back of the head," Logan finished with a dramatic flourish. He might hate the acting profession, and the Hollywood scene, but he couldn't deny he'd be damn good at it.

"So, if you've had these photos since last summer, why didn't you take them to the police?" Jake asked quietly.

Logan stood up and began to pace. "Why exactly would I do that, Jake? What good would that do? Why would I want my father's killer brought to justice? My father was sleeping with my girlfriend and then murdered her. The reason he did was that she discovered he was videotaping them without her knowledge, and she took the tapes. Something similar happened to Veronica recently, I believe you know about that. Your good buddy Gorya Sorokin put a hidden camera in Wallace Fennel's dorm room, but instead, managed to capture Veronica being, uh, intimate, with Wallace's roommate, Stosh Piznarski. Then, being such a stand-up guy, he distributed that email to everyone at Hearst. But you know that, you know all the dirt on your Castle buddies."

"Veronica told you all of this?"

"Uh no. Veronica isn't really speaking to me after I beat the hell out of Piznarski, thinking it was him. But Gorya Sorokin admitted to it in front of me, to which I then introduced him to my anger issues and poor self-control," he grinned at the memory.

"Logan! Are you insane? That kid's --" Jake sputtered.

"Connected," Logan finished. "Yeah, I know. And I knew that at the time too, but I wasn't going to let him get away with what he did to Veronica, anymore than you were going to let Aaron Echolls get away with murdering Lilly. I figured out Sorokin is a member of the Castle, when I saw him leaving here the other night. I came over to ask you to drop the charges against Keith Mars, as a personal favor, not with any intention of blackmail. Then I realized the connection. Duncan told me about the Castle meetings years ago, that it was something you got involved in while at Hearst. It's like a west coast version of Skull and Bones. I remember seeing college kids hanging around here, you'd make some excuse to get Lilly out of the house so she wouldn't embarrass you by hitting on any of them. I assume that's the reason Veronica broke in? She was looking for proof the Castle was involved with her very own sex tape?"

Jake Kane didn't answer, just drank more Scotch.

"So, here's what's going to happen. There will be no charges filed against Veronica, her father will not be prosecuted for destroying evidence, and you will keep that jackass Sorokin on a very tight leash. He stops distributing that video, and he stays away from Veronica. Not to mention, he and his Russian mob buddies will all stay the hell away from me. If not, those photographs get sent to the police. Oh, and, in case you were wondering, I have the originals in a very safe place, and they will be delivered to the police should I meet a sudden and unexpected end, for instance, while sitting in my hotel room, watching television. So I suggest you take a heartfelt interest in my personal safety from now on."

"Fine," was the only response from Jake. "Now get the hell out of my house."

"Lovely to see you as always, Mr. Kane. Give Duncan my regards when you hear from him," he smiled, waved and let himself out.

Outside, he sat in his car, trying to compose himself. He is physically shaking, and thinks this is far more nerve-wracking than just hitting someone. He thinks Veronica would be proud of him, handling the situation more as she would, with a carefully laid plan. Not that Veronica can ever know about this, particularly not the evidence of the Kane family's involvement with his father's murder. He hates having to take on the Kanes; even if they did kill his father, it still feels like betrayal. But Duncan and Lilly would never stand for their parents hurting Veronica, and frankly, neither can he.

* * *

Jake Kane drank another glass of Scotch before he picked up the phone and dialed. "So who gave you the order, Clarence? My wife or my son?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Monday, June 11, 2007_

"The charges have been dropped against Former Balboa County Sheriff Keith Mars for evidence tampering in the recent Kane burglary. After Kane Software President and CEO Jake Kane announced that the burglary had simply been an inventory error, newly-elected Sheriff Vinnie Van Lowe announced the investigation was closed. The District Attorney's office announced that there was insufficient evidence to charge Keith Mars with evidence tampering in light of the investigation being moot, and that others had access to the evidence room. This is a sudden change in attitude from the District Attorney's office, which, just last week, issued a statement saying they intended to pursue the case against Mars as aggressively as possible. Further, Deputy Leo D'Amato has been relieved of duty in connection with the destroyed evidence. D'Amato, who was previously discharged for tampering with evidence in the Aaron Echolls case, had been the last one to handle the Kane burglary evidence. He had been rehired by Mars during his recent stint as interim Sheriff, and previously dated the daughter of Keith Mars, while she was an underage high school student at Neptune High…"

"I've heard enough of this garbage," Keith Mars turned off the TV.

"I really don't get it, Keith, but hey, you're a free man. Cheers," Cliff clinked beer bottles with him, as they sat in the living room of the apartment. "Ever figure out what it was Veronica was doing breaking into the Kane mansion in the first place?"

"Not a clue. But whatever she was looking for, she apparently found it. She said before that Jake Kane was no longer a problem, and she was right."

"I hate her going up against the Kanes. They're dangerous people. But she certainly made my job easier. And there's your precious snowflake now."

"Hey, sweetie," Keith greeted Veronica as she walked through the door. "Heard the good news?"

"I did. Congratulations. I promise I won't get you into any further trouble in the future," she said, coming over to kiss him on the head. "Cliff, I guess this frees you up to concentrate on your more reputable clients."

"Absolutely. Particularly the ones who pay me in dollar bills. Well, you kids enjoy your afternoon, I am due in court," he said, chugging the rest of his beer.

"So, whatever you have on Jake Kane, it must be pretty good," Keith said, taking another swig of beer.

"It's enough to get the charges dropped, at least. But I don't understand why all of a sudden. Last week, they were ready to crucify you."

"No clue, honey. Just grateful that things will be back to normal. I was thinking we'd go out and celebrate tonight?"

"Sounds wonderful. Let's go soon, I'm starving!"

"Okay, I'll just go hit the shower and we can hit the early bird special."

Veronica sat alone in the living, enjoying the peace and quiet. Until someone knocked on her door, that is.

"Weevil, hey, I didn't expect you back so soon."

He held out her keys. "No problem, Vee. Here are your keys back, and everything's good to go. Just a minor problem with the transmission, it was only a few hours' work. Hey, by the way, heard the news about your dad. Tell him congrats for me on beating the rap."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," she smiled. "Come in and hang out for awhile. You want something to drink?"

"No, no, thanks, but I've got my grandmother waiting for me. She's about to head into work. I'm sure you know, she's working for Jake Kane now."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she's been working there for a few weeks now. I figured you knew that, since your boy Logan was over there the other night. I guess he's never been one to notice the help."

"Uh, he's not my boy, I haven't actually spoken to Logan since classes ended. He was over at Jake Kane's? Which night?"

"Let's see… Thursday night. He wasn't there very long. Anyway, I gotta run. Good seeing you, Vee. Again, give my regards to the Sheriff, would you?"

"Yeah, thanks again, Weevil, I owe you," she closed the door behind him, then sat back down on the couch. Logan went to talk to Jake Kane? They hate each other. Jake had hated Logan dating his daughter, had hated the unmotivated Logan lounging around his house being a bad influence on Duncan, and since Logan's father killed Lilly and Logan destroyed the only evidence linking his father to Lilly's murder, he especially hates him. Logan doesn't think much of Jake Kane either, particularly after the truth came out that Jake had covered up the evidence of Lilly's murder and paid a former employee to confess. Logan believes if his father had been arrested sooner, his mother might not have committed suicide. Logan believes a lot of things that might have been different. They even share some of the same delusions.

It couldn't be a coincidence that two days after Logan visits Jake Kane, the charges against her father are suddenly dropped. Charges that Jake swore to her would move forward, that there was nothing he could do. So what did Logan say to him to convince him? More likely, what does Logan have on him?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

_Tuesday, June 12, 2007_

Veronica knocked on Logan's hotel room door at the Neptune Grand.

"Hey, Dick. Is Logan…? Dick, um, I can't believe I'm about to ask you this, but are you okay?" Veronica eyed Dick with cautious concern. Dick, normally a drunken buffoon, looked more like he'd been unsuccessfully drinking away his demons in a similar manner as her mother. She had a pretty good guess what those might be.

"Logan's out with Mac, they're working on some business stuff. You wanna wait for him?"

"Sure, if you don't mind," she walked in, wondering if she should just bolt. She could talk to Logan about the Kanes later. Preferably when Dick was either sober or not home.

"Veronica, can I ask you something?" Dick looked at her seriously, which rather unnerved her. Dick was never serious.

Veronica nodded.

"Do you… blame me?"

"I'm sorry? Blame you for what?" Veronica looked confused. Was he talking about Logan?

"You know, what Cassidy did."

"Dick… do you blame yourself?" Veronica asked, surprised.

He bowed his head in shame and nodded.

"You had no idea what your brother was capable of, so, no, I don't blame you," she said, slowly, unsure to which of Cassidy's horrific actions he was actually referring.

"You don't understand, my dad and me, we picked on him all the time. He hated being called Beaver, and we just made sure everyone called him that. It's my fault he felt he had to prove himself, and he killed all those people, and then he killed himself. Shit, Veronica, it's my fault he raped you. We put you in that bedroom to torment him, told him he wouldn't even be able to please a girl who was passed out. If I'd had any idea he actually would… I swear, Veronica, I swear I would never have left you alone with him, I swear, I'm sorry…" his voice broke and he started crying.

_Oh shit_. Veronica sat in horror, left with the responsibility of comforting Dick Casablancas for his part in her rape.

She took in a deep breath to steady herself. She knew it wasn't really Dick's fault, at least not intentionally. Logically, she knew he contributed just as much to that night as Logan having bought the drugs, and Madison unknowingly giving her a spiked drink that had been intended for her instead. She knew that he didn't honestly expect his brother would rape her. But she was unsure why Logan was the only one of them she had forgiven for his part in that evening's events. _Because I love Logan_, that's why.

She started slowly, and avoided directly addressing his fault for her rape. "Dick, you picked on your little brother, just like every other big brother does. Maybe there were times you were too mean or too rough. But not everyone picked on by an older sibling goes on to rape women, murder their classmates and commit suicide. Even being molested by Woody Goodman doesn't really explain it. I don't know why Cassidy did the things he did. I don't know why he would have difficult, and some horrible, experiences in his life and it turn him into a monster. I don't even know why he jumped off the roof that night instead of running. I… was hysterical after he blew up the plane, Logan wouldn't have left me to go after him… Dick, I just don't know. I wish I had the answers. And, Dick, honestly, I really do wish Cassidy was still here to provide those answers. I-I've been over it a thousand times in my mind. Cassidy was a brilliant liar. When he told me he didn't rape me, that he could never do that to me, I believed him. He looked me in the eyes and promised me he could never do that…" she blinked back tears. She was not going to cry in front of Dick Casablancas. Even a drunk and crying Dick Casablancas. No way. She took another breath to calm herself before she continued.

"Should you have been nicer to him? Yes. But you can't put the blame on yourself for the horrible things he did. Dick, if you want my advice, just appreciate the life you have and live it well, because that's what your brother can't have because of the choices he made. And you're probably one of the few people who will mourn him, and remember that they loved him," she said, somehow managing to keep her voice even.

Dick nodded, tears still streaming down his face. Then he did the unthinkable: he hugged her.

_Oh God_, she groaned. _Why me? This couldn't possibly get any worse._

"Uh, there-there, Dick," she patted him on the back, horrified by the contact. "Okay, good hug. Time to back away now. Dick?! Are you grabbing my ass?" she shrieked, just as the hotel room door opened.

"Hey, roomy!" Dick's demeanor suddenly changed, perking up to his usual obnoxious behavior. "Just getting' fresh here with Veronica. You don't mind, do ya, Buddy? You know, since we sleep with each other's ex-girlfriends and all." She noted the venom at the end. Was it possible Dick actually loved Madison? No, no one could possibly love Madison. Other than Madison, of course.

"I think it's time to go. As usual, Dick, it was lovely seeing you," Veronica grabbed her bag, punched him hard in the shoulder and headed for the door.

"Veronica, wait," Logan called after her.

Veronica was having difficulty keeping her composure. She thought she had dealt with what happened, properly compartmentalized it all, and moved on. But sometimes, such as being faced with the Hearst rapes, and tonight, witnessing the continuing aftermath of Cassidy's destruction, it hit her hard.

"Veronica, are you okay? Sorry if Dick was being a jerk…"

"Dick is always a jerk. What Dick isn't usually is remorseful. You know he actually apologized for his part in his brother raping me?"

"Yeah, he's been unusually… introspective, since his dad came back," Logan muttered, then changed the subject. "So, can I hope you were here to see me, not to get groped by a drunk and sad Dick?"

"Yeah, that was just an added bonus. I actually came to thank you for making my dad's legal issues go away," she baited him.

Logan hesitated, then responded. "That's nice of you, but I didn't do anything…"

"Sure you did. You have something on Jake Kane, and he raised heaven and earth to make sure that the prosecutor, a guy who also really hates my dad, dropped the charges. I want to know what it is," she demanded.

"Veronica…" he looked away so he wouldn't see her staring him down.

"No, don't Veronica me. You have the goods on Jake Kane, I want to know what it is. The charges against my dad only got dropped after you made a visit to Jake Kane at his new home. I have an entire hard drive full of dirty secrets on him and his buddies, but the thing that forces him to get the charges against my father be dropped is whatever you said to him? Spill."

He decided to take the honest approach. "If I tell you what I know, then the deal I cut for your father goes away, do you understand that? The charges can be re-filed. So, for once, can you please just trust me, Veronica? Please? Maybe instead of grilling me for answers, you can just say 'Thank-you, Logan. I appreciate your help.' What's the saying about gift horses and mouths?"

"You know I can't do that…"

"I know. You aren't built that way. Well, you know what? This is the way I'm built, to keep the dirty secrets because, when they come to light, the only thing they cause is destruction. This one needs to stay buried, there's no good that can come of it. But good can come of keeping it buried, and that's getting your dad's charges dropped."

"And putting Gorya Sorokin on his knees. I got a voicemail from him this morning, actually apologizing for the video and promising he's destroyed all copies. Not that it makes it go away, but at least it won't be featured on 'Girls Gone Wild.' So whatever you have on Jake Kane must be damn good."

"It is," Logan admitted. Then he decided to throw down the trump card. "And for Duncan's sake, it can never come out. Do you understand? If it came out, events would play out that would bring Duncan back to the States, him thrown in jail and his daughter raised by those religious nuts. Just leave Pandora's box closed. Just know that I used the leverage I had to protect you, to protect your father. I still love you, Veronica, and I'm pretty sure that no matter how hard I try not to, I always will. Even if you can't forgive me for the things I've done, or even for keeping this secret, I still want to keep you safe, and I want you to be happy. Please, for once, can you just trust me?"

Veronica pressed the elevator button, and exhaled. She turned to face him, tears stinging her eyes and nodded. "All right. You're right. For once, I'll leave it alone. Logan, I – I do trust you. I always have. I just think, maybe, it's that I don't trust myself. I don't trust that just when things are good they won't fall apart, that the people I love won't disappoint me, lie to me, leave me. I don't know. I just – I've got to go," she ducked into the elevator as the doors opened. As she pushed the lobby button, she sighed and said, "Thank you, Logan. I appreciate your help."

The doors closed and Logan smiled to himself. Had he really just won an argument with Veronica Mars? Probably not. He doubted that ultimately she wouldn't try to figure out what leverage he had on Jake Kane. Fortunately, spending enough time with her meant he knew how to not leave a trail back to the evidence, and if she started investigating him, she would come up empty. Someday he would tell her, after it was safe for Duncan to come back, and most likely after Jake Kane drank himself to death.

In the meantime, he was happy he was at least in Veronica's good graces again. For now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Wednesday, June 20, 2007_

The morning Veronica finally got an email from Piz, she could finally let go of the guilt.

"Dear Veronica,

I'm sorry I haven't responded to any of your emails this summer. I've read every one, and I appreciate you writing me. I feel bad ignoring you, but I don't think I could have made the decisions I needed to if I'd had actual conversations with you. Maybe that makes me a coward. (Yeah, I'm pretty sure it does.) I much would have rather told you all this over the phone, but my cell phone, as you probably noticed, is dead. It got stolen my first week out here (yeah, I know, not really unexpected) and I don't have the funds to replace it yet. New York is really expensive (again, not unexpected), but I'm having a really great time. The music scene here is just unbelievable. I hope sometime you'll make it out here, and I'll take you to a few shows.

So, yeah, I'm staying in New York. It's totally crazy, I know, but I found this great gig as a 3 to 5am DJ for a local radio station. Okay, it's not a great gig, but it's on a real radio station, not a college station, and it's a good starting point. I applied to transfer to NYU, and they're taking me, and now I'm a New Yorker!

I know you feel bad about what happened with Logan (you'll be happy to know my face and ribs healed). You'll probably think I'm running away from things, with us, but I'm not, I promise. This is really an incredible opportunity for me, and I couldn't pass it up. I'm sorry I was down on you going to Virginia, I realize now we have to follow our own paths, wherever they lead. And, hey, if someday our paths cross again, well, I'd really like that. You know, dammit, I'm going to miss you, Veronica. I hate how we left things, and I hate how I left, and I really hate I never wrote or called this summer. It wasn't fair. What happened wasn't your fault, and I should have been more understanding. We both know things wouldn't work between us in the long run, so we shouldn't have any hard feelings about it. I care about you, a lot, and I wish you the best. Out of all the things I will miss about Neptune and Hearst, you definitely top the list. (Well, right under Wallace, actually.)

-Piz"

Veronica wipes the tears from her cheeks, and smiles. _Piz is such a good guy_, she thinks. He's honest, kind and fun. She's going to miss him, but she knows it's for the best. She knows they didn't belong together. He's a nice guy. He'll meet a nice girl, they'll fall in love. They'll have a lovely Catholic wedding, with all their friends and family, and make a home together. All of it sounds wonderful… for someone else. Veronica isn't made for simple, healthy romance. She's too damaged, too dark, too pessimistic. She once thought she could have that with Duncan, but as usual, things don't turn out. And nothing about her relationship with Logan had ever been simple, and she definitely can't describe most of it as healthy. But Piz was a fresh start, a clean slate, and she just couldn't find a way to make it work for her.

She enjoyed being with Piz, and she'll miss him. A lot. But she's glad he's finding his way. She only hopes she'll find hers. She writes him back a short message to that effect, then cries again.

* * *

Veronica makes it into the office that afternoon, her eyes noticeably puffy from crying. Fortunately, her dad left at noon for a trip to Nevada, and she didn't have to explain. No sooner had she sat down at her desk, a client walked through the door.

"Hi, welcome to Mars Investigations. How can I help you, Sir?" Veronica said automatically.

"I desperately need help. I'm being robbed!" The man was overly-flamboyant and dressed in high fashion. Veronica motioned for him to sit down, and he made an exaggerated gesture to dust off the chair before doing so.

"What's been stolen?" she asked.

"My livelihood, Sweetie. My heart and soul! I assume you know something about couture fashion," he stopped and scrutinized her ensemble for a moment. "What am I saying, of course you don't."

She couldn't disagree with him there. Veronica learned, somewhere in the middle of all the dramatics, that Donnie (short for Donatello) owned an upscale clothing boutique in Neptune. Several pieces of very expensive merchandise had suddenly gone missing, and even though they have security cameras, he hasn't been able to catch the thief. He's out more than $50,000 in just under a week.

She agreed to go undercover as his new sales clerk, but first he insisted she borrow some of their clothes to wear. He couldn't have his clerks showing up in discount sales rack styles, even one not really a clerk. She agreed; she would need to blend in as much as possible. He handed her a few fashion magazines to study, and said he would send over his tailor with a few outfits right away.

He handed her a check and scrutinized her once again. "Oh, and one more thing. Ice down those eyes, Sweetie, you look like hell."

She groaned inwardly, but again, couldn't disagree.

Once he left, Veronica began to flip through the latest issue of Elle with very little enthusiasm. Why exactly do women wear this stuff?

"Fashion magazines? Since when are you so girly?" Leo walked in, handing her a stack of surveillance photos.

"Since the newsstand was out of Popular Mechanics," she replied, peering at him over the top of the magazine. "I'm going undercover at Donatello Couture to catch a thief. I'll need you to run background on the employees, and any delivery personnel. And you'll have to mind the shop here for the next few days. Dad left this afternoon for Vegas."

Leo had agreed to work for them, which was only fair since he'd lost his job because of them. He planned to quit anyway, if Keith wasn't elected as Sheriff, so there were no hard feelings. And with the extra workflow due to one less private investigator in town, they needed the help. It paid better than being a deputy anyway, although he'd miss the benefits. And the uniform. Chicks dig the uniform.

"Let me know if you need any backup," he offered.

"If anyone gets too rough, I'll just whack them with one of these," she turned the magazine towards him and pointed to a 5-inch stiletto shoe with a platform sole. She noted it was made by Christian Louboutin and it was probably very expensive.

* * *

_Thursday, June 21, 2007_

Veronica spent the next afternoon wearing an outfit that made her feel ridiculous, and shoes that she was sure would result in her death if she had to chase down the perp. She had spent the morning going through the inventory, looking for a pattern among the merchandise stolen, and a list of both personnel who had worked each day that merchandise went missing, and credit card receipts. Donnie had said it was impossible that any of the employees had been stealing, and Leo said all of the employees came back clean anyway. The merchandise was too large to sneak out: shoes, large handbags, gowns. But if not the employees, then who?

She familiarized herself with the store, and Donnie taught her how to ring up a sale. All of the merchandise had to be placed on the table to be sorted and rung up. Veronica suggested that perhaps one of the employees was working with someone posing as a customer. However, Donnie said no same customer had checked out on more than one occasion that week.

She decided just to watch and see what happened. She mingled with the customers, she helped dozens of '09er housewives spend their husbands' money, and still nothing suspicious. But nothing had gone missing, either. Did the other employees catch on she wasn't just a new clerk?

Her shift was ending at 7pm, and she was about to close out her drawer when Leo walked in.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

They made sure they weren't overheard. "I ran those background checks again, something came up on one of the clerks that just kept bugging me, so I dug a little deeper. Turns out that…"

"Shhhh…" she interrupted, as one of the other clerks stepped forward. "We have just the thing your girlfriend will love, Sir, follow me."

She led him to the lingerie section, and noticed him blush. She snickered at him and he shot her a dirty look. While she showed him a variety of naughty, lacy underthings, he explained that one of the clerks isn't who she claims to be. Jennifer Mason doesn't have a criminal background, but something odd did come up about her. She was a Plaintiff in a lawsuit concerning a weight loss drug prescribed only for those who were obese. Leo, on a hunch, suspected that if Jennifer Mason was still obese, she was probably not working in a boutique selling couture fashion, since the clerks were required to wear designer duds. His hunch paid off. Jennifer Mason's driver's license photo registered with the Balboa County Clerk's office featured a woman who weighed 240 pounds. So which clerk was claiming to be Jennifer Mason, and who was she really?

Before Veronica could respond, Madison Sinclair walked into the boutique. _Shit_, she muttered, wondering where she could hide. Not only did dealing with Madison not top her list of favorite activities, but she could easily blow her cover. Unfortunately, Madison was headed right towards her. She ducked behind Leo, to no avail.

"Excuse me," Madison demanded in a way that undermined the politeness usually ascribed to the phrase. "I want to see what you've got in from Juicy Couture, there's this pair of… Veronica?"

"I'm sorry, we don't carry pairs of Veronica, we only have one. You'll have to shop somewhere else. Try France," she snapped, walking away. _Hopefully that'll get rid of her_, she thought.

No such luck. Leo backed away, taking the opportunity to scout out the store, while she dealt with Madison. "What are you doing here, Veronica? This place is upscale and classy. Obviously you don't fit in," Madison rolled her eyes.

"Really? Then what are you doing in here? Because you definitely are not the definition of 'classy.' Of course, trashy has never been so expensive than it is on you, Madison, so I guess the 'upscale' part fits."

"Oh, Veronica. I guess if you could've managed to hang onto Logan, you could have at least gotten your hands on his money and tried to look like you belong. Sad when Logan Echolls is slumming it, isn't it? I mean, what sort of loose canon is he, anyway? I guess that's what happens when your daddy sleeps with your slut girlfriend, and kills her, and then mommy throws herself off a bridge. Pathetic. No wonder he's messed up enough to chase after you."

"Shut up, Madison," Veronica hissed, seething at the insults.

"Like you could make me shut up," she smirked. "So, does Logan ever call you 'Madison' in bed? Or does he still call you 'Lilly?'"

Without thinking, or even fully realizing she'd done it, Veronica slapped Madison so hard she knocked her right into the lingerie rack.

"You bitch!" Madison screeched, lunging at her. Unfortunately, Veronica wasn't steady enough on her feet to avoid tumbling over in her stilettos. She grabbed Madison's hair on her way down, taking her with her.

It took three other women to pull Veronica off of Madison, who was missing a tuft of hair and had a swollen lip. Their scuffle was finally interrupted by Leo pinning a female clerk against the counter and Donnie calling the police, as one of the female customers sat on the floor crying, the contents of her bag emptied onto the floor.

* * *

_Friday, June 22, 2007_

"Veronica, you are brilliant! It was theatrical and exciting, and the most fun I've had in ages!" Donnie gushed.

"Uh, thanks. Glad we were able to catch your thief," Veronica smiled through the bars in the Balboa County Jail.

"Well, it was money well spent. You've saved my business! I gave the rest of the payment to your partner, Leo," he lowered his voice and winked, "Who is absolutely gorgeous by the way, tell him to call me. Anyway, the clothes you have are yours to keep, and for all the trouble you went through, you now have a generous store credit, so come in and shop sometime on me."

Veronica smiled as Leo walked in.

"Hey, Cliff should be on his way, Veronica. I'm sure he'll get the charges dropped, no bond necessary," Leo said.

"Well, I have to get back to the store. Thank you for everything, Veronica! And thank _you_, Leo. You are fabulous," he said, then mouthing, "Call me."

Once he left, Veronica groaned, her face in her hands. "I can't believe I got into a fight with Madison Sinclair."

"Hey, it was great planning. With the commotion, the thief took a chance on passing the merchandise to one of her partners, and didn't notice me standing right there. It was a perfect diversion."

"Only it wasn't planned. And I had to spend the night in jail, while Madison's already out without even needing to post bond, because she's a spoiled '09er bitch."

"With a pretty good shiner from the girl from the wrong zip code. Besides, did you really want to spend the night in lockup with her?"

Veronica groaned again.

"What set you off anyway?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, what set you off, Veronica?" Logan suddenly appeared. Veronica groaned yet again.

"Come to take another jailhouse photo, Logan?" Veronica smiled sweetly.

"Yep," he said, snapping a picture with his cell phone, smiling back.

"I'll go check on Cliff," Leo said, leaving the two alone.

"I posted your bond. I figure it's the least I could do for coming here to taunt you," Logan smiled.

"That's really nice of you, but not necessary. I'll be out whenever Cliff gets here."

"Ehhh… Cliff's the one who called me. He said he was stuck in Federal Court in L.A. all morning and wouldn't be able to make it until late this afternoon. He didn't want you sitting in jail all day, since you already spent the night. So he called the one person he knew could afford the exorbitant amount of money set for bond."

"Ah. That's thoughtful of him," she said. _He called my ex-boyfriend to bail me out of jail? Note to self: Kill Cliff._

"So, come on, if I'm gonna get you out of here, you have to at least tell me. Why'd you do it?" he probed.

She shrugged. "Madison's a bitch. She needed a beat-down."

"You had four years of high school to do that. Why suddenly now? And you were apparently in the middle of a case?" He wasn't going to let up, and she was a captive audience.

Veronica sighed. "She just said some things that really got under my skin, that's all."

"About?"

She looked away and sighed. "About you, your family. About Lilly. It's just classic Madison being a bitch."

"So you don't ruin her life, you just punch her in the face? Since when does your payback involve assault and battery? Isn't that more my style?"

"I actually slapped her first. Then I pulled her hair. And I may have hit her with my shoe. The punching came later."

"Interesting." He was very obviously choking down laughter.

"Logan?" she asked, sweetly.

"Yeah?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Shut up and get me out of here. I'm starving."

"Yes, ma'am."


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the great feedback, everyone! I'm writing this very quickly, publishing the chapters as they are written, with very little editing and no beta-testing, so please forgive the plot holes, underdeveloped dialogue, and any silly mistakes. Continue to let me know what I might be missing. I mapped this rather lengthy story out in my head and, as most of my stories do, it looked better still in there! If I like the story when it's complete, I might give it a rewrite and polish it up._

_I wanted to convey that Veronica and Logan are two sides to the same coin, and I thought it would be fun to explore that by giving each of them a taste of what it's like to play by the other's rules. Logan carefully calculating how best to use the leverage he has against Jake Kane (his loyalties to the Kane family giving him cause to tread carefully), and Veronica simply losing control (and Madison was an easy target for this). I predict having a change of perspective will allow them to begin to resolve a lot of their issues, concerning themselves, and one another. Eventually this should bring them back to the inevitable Logan/Veronica romance, but hopefully in the scope of a relationship that is healthier, happier and slightly less dysfunctional. Of course, I'm discovering it's a fine line to dance between developing these characters, allowing them to change and grow by learning from their mistakes, and just missing the mark by going "out of character." _

_So, to that end, I decided to add in some exposition here to compensate for what I didn't convey through dialogue and action, and in doing so, will need to add one more chapter after this one before getting back to "present day" (July 25, 2007). I'm taking a break for a few days (Happy Mardi Gras/Carnival!), and will continue writing at the end of the week. _

**Chapter 9**

_Monday, July 2, 2007_

Veronica had spent the past week pulling herself back together. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ She'd repeatedly asked herself. She still didn't have any answer to that.

Her father was pretty upset with her when he came home from Vegas and found out that not only had she nearly botched an easy job, but got into a brutal catfight with an '09er and landed herself in jail for the night. Cliff had managed to get the charge knocked down to a citation for disorderly conduct, and she only had to pay a fine. _Yeah, that'll help with the FBI security clearance_, she grimaced. Madison, of course, got off completely free, but supposes that she did technically throw the first punch. And the second. She remembers it felt so… good. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ She asked yet again.

She was still mortified by the events, and even more so by the fact that Logan, of all people, had come to bail her out. Hadn't he already played the hero enough this summer, by blackmailing Jake Kane into dropping her father's charges? And then there he is again. She had made a concerted effort to keep her distance from him after he assaulted Piz, but she couldn't shake the memory of what he told her outside the elevator. _I still love you, Veronica, and I'm pretty sure that no matter how hard I try not to, I always will._ She's pretty sure the feeling is mutual, but refuses to accept it as definitive. _Wallace is wrong_, she thinks_. I'm not putting either of us through that again. Not to mention the fact that I am officially out of my mind._

She thinks it must be that Piz isn't coming back, not to mention the recent bizarre encounter with Dick that left her a lot more shaken than she'd care to admit. Couple that with her extreme hatred of Madison, the horrible things Madison said about Logan and Lilly, and those ridiculously uncomfortable shoes she'd been standing in all day… That must be it; that must be why she completely lost control. It was simply a perfect storm of emotions. She hates being out of control, but she admits it was both frightening and exhilarating. The last time she was that out of control, she was holding a gun on Cassidy Casablancas. She remembers why she hates being out of control. How many times has she been drugged now? Her skin grows cold thinking of the morning she woke up in Shelly Pomroy's guesthouse after being raped. She swallows down the bile that rises in her throat. That's why she needs the control: to chase away the demons.

This time her demons got the best of her. She didn't think, she didn't weigh the options; she didn't serve revenge cold and calculated with surveillance and called-in favors and a detailed plan. _I just kicked her ass_. She knows she could have done a lot more damage if she'd gone her usual route of payback. _Is that any better?_ she wonders. _Am I really any more civilized for planning my revenge for maximum damage, devoid of raw emotion?_ She doesn't have an answer to that one either.

It's been over a week, and she can't continue avoiding Logan anymore. She knows he's trying to make up for the past, particularly for his assault on Piz, but she's not quite ready to go back to, well, what exactly? They weren't able to be friends the last time they broke up, when she was back with Duncan, so what makes her so sure they can do it this time? Regardless, she needs to bring him the paperwork so he can get his bond money back since her case has been discharged. She just doesn't know what to say to him, doesn't know how to move forward with their relationship. _Relationship? No. Friendship? Maybe._

She takes in a breath and knocks on his hotel room door. She initially hopes Dick isn't there alone for a repeat of their last encounter, but on the other hand, she could then avoid dealing with Logan.

The door opens. "Hi," Logan smiles at her.

"Hi… I, uh, came by to drop off this paperwork," she says, holding it up as though it's her alibi.

"Come on in. Don't worry, Dick's not here," he said in a stage whisper. He took the papers and glanced at them. "So, all your legal difficulties have resolved, I presume?"

She nodded. "Thank you for getting me out. Cliff ended up caught in a traffic jam in LA, and I would have spent all weekend in jail if you hadn't been there. Sorry if I seemed ungrateful. I was just… rather mortified at my behavior and the situation I'd gotten myself into."

"No, no, I understand. Having the ex-boyfriend bail you out of jail for beating the crap out of the person you hate the most… That is the stuff girls' nightmares are made of, right?"

"Yeah, it certainly ranks up there," she shifted uncomfortably. "I also thought I should apologize. I guess I can't really throw stones at you for acting impulsively and, well, crazy. I'm not as calm and composed as I think I am, apparently. I've made a lot of mistakes the past few months, and you've managed to bail me out twice now. So, in addition to being grateful for your help, I'm also sorry for some of the things I said."

"Gratitude and apology accepted," he said, smiling. He leans back against the wall and studies her. _It's that look_, she notes, the look he always has when he can see right through her carefully crafted façade. He cuts through all of her defenses, hitting straight to her vulnerabilities. Then she has to work harder to push him away. Maybe she should try something new.

"Look, I just don't want things to be weird between us. What you said before, about still loving me, Logan…"

"I know, I know, you're with Piz. I'm not trying to…"

She interrupted, "Piz and I broke up. He's staying in New York. But that's beside the point. I just wanted to say that you're important to me, and I want you in my life. I don't know how to build a friendship with you, it seems we never quite get there, but I want to try. I want things to be different this time."

Logan was quiet for a moment, taking in all the words she'd blurted out. He nodded and smiled at her, that brilliant smile. "Yeah, I'd really like that."

She smiled back, relieved. "Okay. So, maybe we can hang out some time soon."

"How about Wednesday? Mac and Max are coming over to watch the fireworks from the balcony and, of course, Dick'll be here, he'll be drunk…"

"Well, you've certainly enticed me into coming," she smirked. "Seriously, it sounds great, thanks for inviting me. I'll see you Wednesday." Veronica walked out of the apartment, feeling better than she had in months.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_Wednesday, July 4, 2007_

"I'll get another round," Logan excused himself from the hotel room balcony, as the others continued laughing and talking.

So far, it had been a good evening. Although initially awkward, they had soon slipped back into comfortable conversation with a little bit of alcohol to loosen everyone up. The fireworks started and the event seemed entirely normal. Of course, Veronica hadn't gotten there yet. Logan had just grabbed another set of beers when he heard a knock at the door.

He opened the door to Veronica, holding a six-pack of beer with a red bow on it. "Hey, sorry I'm late. I had a report to finish for a client tonight. I hope this makes up for it," she smiled, holding up the beer.

He briefly thought back to a similar red bow he'd given her at the beginning of the fall semester, with a keycard to this very hotel room. He pushed away the thought and smiled back at her, holding open the door. "The gift of beer is always welcome, as are you. Everyone's on the balcony, the fireworks just started. Dick has a lady friend over, so he's making a conscious effort to be almost somewhat sober and is even getting along with Mac and Max to a certain degree. It's a good evening so far, I'm just getting everyone another round. Can I grab you a water or a coke?"

She rarely drank alcohol, a combination of fear of becoming an alcoholic like her mother and a developed phobia of drinking anything at all in a social setting. She didn't like to dull her senses; she didn't want to be out of control, even slightly. But wasn't she trying to change that? "Actually, I'll have a beer."

Logan looked at her with surprise, and popped the cap off a beer for her. He raised his own bottle to hers, clinking them. "Cheers."

"Hey, Veronica!" Mac came in from the balcony. "You're missing all the fun, the fireworks, the witty conversation, Dick trying to have game. Whoa, you're drinking beer."

Veronica shrugged. "It's a holiday, after all. Happy birthday, America."

They returned to the balcony with the beer and watched the fireworks. However, Veronica could feel Logan's eyes on her most of the night. She didn't mind though; she knew he was studying her, trying to figure out what had changed. She hopes he'll figure it out, so he can clue her in.

Mac and Max excused themselves pretty quickly after the fireworks were over, as by then Dick and his new lady friend were making out on the couch. They soon excused themselves as well and Logan and Veronica stayed on the balcony.

"Dick seems a lot better than the last time I saw him," Veronica commented, taking a drink from her second beer. She'd been nursing it for a while now.

"Yeah, having his dad here was rough, but in some ways he was able to work through some stuff. That night you were over here was the last time I've seen him that bad off. Whatever you said to him must have sunk in. He's been drinking a lot less, and he even picked up a summer class this session. His dad will be gone next month, and I think he'll finally move forward from everything that's happened."

Veronica nodded. "I wish Dick well, I honestly do. I don't blame him for anything Cassidy did, I just hope he'll be able to stop blaming himself."

"I wonder if he'll stop blaming me," Logan sighed, finishing his beer.

"Does he still?" she asked.

"Yeah, on a certain level. When he's been in one of those moods, like you saw him that night, he'll ask me things like, why didn't I stop Cassidy from jumping? I just don't even know how to answer that," he said, picking at the label on his empty beer bottle.

"I told Dick I didn't even know why he jumped. Why he didn't just run out of the building. You wouldn't have gone after him, and I couldn't have. He could have disappeared before anyone realized what had happened. A plane had just exploded, and your father…" her voice trailed off. She looked at Logan, his face completely expressionless.

"Maybe he was just tired of the pain, the death and destruction that he'd caused. Maybe he just wanted to escape. I couldn't give him a reason not to jump off the roof, because I'd been there before, standing at the edge, facing the same possibility, unable to come up with a reason myself. That night on the bridge, if Weevil and the PCHers hadn't shown up looking for a fight, I think I might have…"

Veronica took his hand and squeezed it. That night would always haunt both of them.

Logan closed his eyes and sighed. "But, that was a long time ago, and hopefully Dick will be able to put everything that's happened behind him, just like we have."

"Have we, Logan? Or are we continually a product of our past tragedies, our past mistakes? I don't drink alcohol because I'm afraid of becoming my mother. I can't trust because I'm afraid of letting people get too close and then having them walk out on me, or worse, dying. I get payback when people hurt me, because in all honesty, I never left Shelley Pomroy's party, I never stopped being that girl who woke up out of a drug-induced fog with a torn dress, looking for my underwear, and finding slut written on my car. Everything I've done in the past four years have been a reaction to all the shit we've experienced. I… I don't know how to move past it and just… live."

Logan said nothing at first, and simply looked at her with the understanding that only he could possess. He knew exactly what she meant; he knew he was a product of his past. He was terrified of becoming his father, and his unjustified assault on Piz had rattled him. He knows his need to protect Veronica exists not just because he loves her but because he wasn't able to protect Lilly or his mother. His guilt eats at him so badly sometimes that he thinks he should be Catholic.

Logan finally responds after a minute of silence. "Maybe… maybe that isn't something we can change, or even should change. We're who we are because of the experiences we've had, some good, and some devastating. Our choices are colored by those experiences, but what would we be if we didn't learn from the past? I think we've both come a long way. We aren't the same people we were in the aftermath of Lilly's murder, we've both changed as a result of all the things that came after. And neither of us always make the best decisions, but that's who we are. I'm trying to be a better person, take what's happened in the past and build something out of the ashes. Maybe the secret isn't to live in the past, but to keep moving forward because of the past. I dunno, Veronica, sometimes I just wish I could undo all the mistakes I've made. Starting with messing things up with you."

"I had a hand in that, too, Logan. If we could go back…" she starts.

"But, we can't," Logan finishes for her. "We can only go forward."


	11. Chapter 11

_I didn't intend to take such a long break, but it's been a rotten two weeks at work, leaving me much too exhausted to write. Now that things are relatively calm, back to Veronica, who is about to go from being Sam Spade to Nick Charles._

**Chapter Eleven**

_Wednesday, July 25, 2007_

"Seriously? But how the hell did they get the dog through customs? … Well, it might not count as a real dog to you, but I'm pretty sure customs thinks it's a real dog. Besides those things yap constantly, how could they have smuggled it through? Ah, sedatives, of course, I should have thought of that sooner… Okay, thanks for the information, Cliff," Veronica set the phone down and sighed. "Acapulco. Shit."

"Going on vacation? Never really pegged you as the resort type," Logan commented, setting down a brown paper bag containing their lunch order.

"Oh… smells… so… good. This is definitely the highlight of my day," she said, tearing into the bag to get to the Chinese food.

"Stop, you're making me blush," he teased.

"The food, smart ass," she smiled, biting into an egg roll. She continued working on her computer, clicking away, until Logan finally broke the silence.

"So, Acapulco, huh? Taking a business trip, I guess?" he inquired, digging into his carton of noodles.

She took a moment to swallow her food. "Looks like it. I have a dog to track down."

"Chihuahua girlfriend for Backup?"

"A rich old lady's prize Pomeranian. Her daughter-in-law dognapped it when she left town with a ton of the husband's money and her new beau. Just tracked them down. They've crossed the border and they're driving to a resort in Acapulco. Somehow they managed to get the damn dog out of the country. What the hell she wants the dog for is beyond me. I figured she'd dump the thing by now, but there's no indication she's done that."

"Maybe Fluffy's a mule?" Logan shrugged, taking another bite.

"You mean drugs? Maybe. I hadn't considered it, just assumed this was about sticking it to the mother-in-law. But it doesn't seem cost-effective. How much drugs could a Pomeranian possibly hold that it would even make it worth the while?"

Logan shrugged again. "Enough, I suppose. Maybe they don't intend for Fluffy to survive the transport. Just use him as a cover in case they get caught, stuff him to the gills with drugs, then cut him open."

She groaned. _Dammit, if that dog's dead already_… "But why all the way to Acapulco? Why not just drive over the border and dump the dog in Tijuana?"

"Well, the drug trade has been escalating in the south, particularly in Guerrero... Oh, we're missing the obvious," he mused, taking another bite.

"Which is…?" impatiently waiting for him to finish the food he'd shoveled into his mouth.

"Why would they export drugs _to_ Mexico? Drugs generally come _from_ Mexico."

"So, they take the dog with them all the way to Acapulco, stuff it full of drugs and bring it back over the border? That's insane."

Logan shook his head. "Maybe it's not drugs at all. Could be something else. Might just be torturing the mother-in-law. Hell, maybe she actually likes the mutt. But whatever it is, I guess we'll find out in Acapulco."

"We?" Veronica eyed him skeptically. "I don't remember you being an employee of Mars Investigations."

"You think you should be going to Acapulco without backup, when there's a possibility this involves drug trafficking? Besides, your Spanish sucks."

"I don't think…" she started, and he interrupted.

"Also, let's be honest, I have far superior knowledge of the geography and the drug cartel of Mexico," he added, tossing his empty carton and chopsticks into the garbage and picking up the paper she just printed off. He examined it and continued his argument, "This looks like a honeymoon resort. I think you'll stand out showing up here alone. I'll be your cover, and your backup, and maybe we can catch a few waves while we're at it. It's not like I have pressing matters here in Neptune to attend to. C'mon. Let me tag along. It'll be fun."

She considered it for a moment, and then gave him a small smile. "All right, you're in. I'll book our tickets, there's a flight out tonight at 7. Pick me up at my place at 4."

Logan flashed her one of his brilliant smiles, and left. She sighed, and wondered if she wasn't making a huge mistake.

In the past few weeks, she had been spending a lot more time with Logan. Lunches, coffee, and trips to the beach. But he'd never made a single move on her, never even a subtle hint at reconciliation. She was slowly becoming more comfortable around him, and was enjoying getting to know him again. He was different than the Logan she had previously dated, and she realized she was different too.

She had been completely disarmed by him when he suggested coming with her to Mexico. He wasn't trying to talk her out of going, or telling her it was too dangerous. He just made logical arguments why he would be an asset to the job, and said he'd enjoy going. She couldn't argue with that. While she was usually the brains of the operation, she wasn't generally the brawn. And she wouldn't be able to get her Taser on the plane.

Besides, she knew she'd enjoy having him along, and he was right about her needing not only backup but a good cover. There wasn't time to try to get in the resort as an employee, she needed to go in as a guest. She just hoped posing as a newlywed couple wouldn't be as awkward as she believed it would be.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

_Wednesday, July 25, 2007_

_She hears a knock at the door._

Seeing Logan's silhouette through the shade, Veronica opened the door and let him inside the apartment.

"I was able to get us in at the resort, with some strategic name-dropping, of course. Told the resort we needed the utmost privacy for Mr. and Mrs. Echolls. Oh, and, here, you'll need these," he said, handing her a small velvet box.

She opened the box to find a massive sparkling diamond ring and matching wedding band. "Whoa. Don't tell me you just had these laying around?"

"Actually, I did," he shifted uncomfortably.

She breathed in suddenly at the realization. "Your mother's. Oh. Oh, Logan, I couldn't possibly, this is way too valuable."

He shrugged. "They're insured, and really, it's not like there's some great sentimental value attached to it. My mother's marriage was a sham, she knew it, and diamonds don't change that, no matter how gaudy. She'd stopped wearing these days before she killed herself. I guess that's when she finally stopped believing the lie."

He paused for a moment, not making eye contact. "Well, anyway, at least we can make use of them now. Here, let me do the honors." He pulled the rings out of the box, and slipped them on her finger before she could protest. "There. Perfect fit."

"And for you?" she asked, staring down at the immense rock on her finger.

He waved his left hand in front of her. "Comes courtesy of Dick's short-lived first marriage."

"Well. Okay. All right, partner, let's get going," she said, grabbing her duffel bag.

He eyed her single bag suspiciously. "You've got formal wear, right?"

"What?" she blinked.

"Formal wear. You know, like a cocktail dress and matching handbag and crap. This resort is really high class. The dinners will be formal."

"Oh," she said. She was definitely out of her league. "Well, I know just who to call."

* * *

After a pit stop to Donatello Couture to collect on her store credit, they headed to the airport. She had booked the seats in coach, much to Logan's displeasure. When she wouldn't allow him to pay for the upgrade, which wasn't billable to the client, he decided to sweet-talk the airline attendant into putting them in First Class. She was glad he'd talked her into it. The flight to Mexico City was nearly five hours long, and they had a four-hour layover before the flight to Acapulco. With the upgrade, they were able to wait in the VIP lounge and get at least some sleep.

They finally made it to the resort just as the sun was rising. Veronica was struck by the absolute beauty of the coastal resort. The resort was located on Playa Revolcadero, and not only was there a view of the sun rising over the Pacific, but also of the Sierra Madre Mountains. To say it was beautiful was clearly an understatement.

She glanced over at Logan, who seemed unfazed by the breathtaking sights, and was getting down to business checking them into the resort. She realized he had probably seen this, and much more, throughout his life. There had been few vacations over the years for the Mars family. Mostly road trips in the station wagon, staying in budget motels, and she would be excited if there was a pool. But for Logan, this luxury was commonplace. When his parents were big stars in high demand, they had traveled all over the world to film in exotic locations. It wasn't until Logan was 12 that the Echolls family had settled down in Neptune. The movie offers were slowing down considerably for Aaron, and he needed to be close to L.A. to promote himself and keep himself in the public eye. Lynn had joined the cast of a primetime soap as the movie roles had stopped coming in all together. Time was the enemy in Hollywood, and Aaron and Lynn Echols had been quickly running out of it. She realized she knew very little about Logan's childhood, other than the few stories of abuse at the hands of his father. She wondered about the good, about what places he'd visited, what it was like to be a student of the world, instead of one only inside the classroom. But she supposed she received her own unique education. She wasn't complaining; she wouldn't trade her childhood for Logan's, no way. She knew how lucky she was to have such great parents, even if her mother would eventually give into her addiction, abandon and betray them. It didn't change how happy she'd been until then. She wondered if Logan ever felt that happy.

She suddenly felt his presence close to her, jarring her out of her reverie.

"Okay, Sugarpuss, ready to go to our room?" he said a little too loud. "We've got a marriage to consummate. You packed plenty KY Jelly, right? You know, they say it hurts the first time, but don't worry, I'll be gentle."

She smiled and shook her head. Subtlety was not Logan's strong suit.

* * *

"Logan! Put me down!" Veronica squealed, as the bellhop opened the door to the suite, and carried their bags inside.

"I have to carry my blushing bride over the threshold! It's tradition!" Logan explained, carrying her into the room as she squirmed. He then let her go so abruptly he nearly dropped her. She steadied herself then smacked him on the arm. He mouthed "Ow!" at her, then grinned wickedly. She mouthed "asshole" back at him.

"You are all set. Enjoy your stay," the bellhop said, as Logan tipped him. He put the "do not disturb" sign on the door and closed it behind him.

"So, the lovely desk clerk, Flora, tells me that your dognappers have not arrived yet, but are expected tomorrow afternoon. They will be staying next door to us, and we'll be able to wave to them from our balcony. The room is currently unoccupied," Logan said, flopping down onto the king size bed.

"That's great. That gives me time to get in there and bug the room, and then we'll come up with a plan for interacting with them," she said, flopping down on the other side of the bed.

"Maybe they'll be fans of my parents' movies. Everybody wants to talk about movies. Boring," he yawned. "Everybody but you, of course. You prefer to talk about bail jumpers and money shots."

"Don't forget about the latest technological advances in electronic surveillance. I like that too," she closed her eyes and smiled dreamily.

"Well, since we have some time to kill, let's get some rest. We can hit the beach in the afternoon," he said, his speech beginning to slur.

"Sounds like a plan. You enjoy that couch over there," she said, eyes still closed.

"Hell no, Mars. You're a liberated woman, you take the couch."

But it was too late. They were both asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

_New chapter, at long last! Not a long one, I'm afraid. I've been too exhausted to write, with three trials back to back, and another long two weeks ahead full of hearings. Ugh. So, new chapters will be slow coming, but hopefully I'll get to write more this weekend._

**Chapter 13**

_Thursday, July 26, 2007_

Veronica slowly opened her eyes, still groggy. She went to stretch and remembered there was someone else in the bed as she bumped into him.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Logan chirped.

"What time is it?" she asked, sitting up in the bed. Logan was propped up reading the room service menu.

"Almost eleven. I was just about to wake you up and order some lunch." She noticed his hair was wet and he was wearing different clothes. He'd showered. Then he'd come back to bed? Showering suddenly sounded like a great idea, and she couldn't get out quick enough.

"Great, I'm starving," she said, getting out of bed. She pulled out her toiletries and quickly headed for the bathroom. She hoped her discomfort wasn't too obvious.

What was unnerving about this trip with Logan was that it wasn't unnerving at all; in fact, it was very comfortable. Sleeping in a bed with him wasn't weird, going undercover and pretending to be his wife wasn't even weird, and certainly having him know exactly what she likes off the room service menu while hanging out in bed after his morning shower seemed perfectly normal. She looked down at her left hand, his mother's giant diamond ring glittering under the fluorescent lights. Even that wasn't terribly weird. As much as she'd fought it, as much as she'd sabotaged it, she knew how much being with him just fit. It could be tumultuous and painful, but when it worked, it really worked. Being with him now, working with him on a case, they were in a good place. She wonders if they can stay that way.

She set the rings on the counter and got into the shower, washing away the grime of travel. She continued to feel their missing weight until she put them back on.

* * *

"It's only a two-foot spread between the balconies. I can make it over no problem," Logan said.

"Still, we're eight floors up. There's no reason to risk it. I'll find a way to get housekeeping to let us in," Veronica replied, spearing her fruit with the butter knife.

"Oh, come on. I'll just climb over, plant the bugs, and then we can go hit the beach," he said, walking to the sliding glass door to their balcony.

"Always subtle, aren't you?" Veronica frowned, knowing there was no talking him out of it. She handed him the baggy of surveillance devices. "Okay, but please be careful."

She followed Logan onto the balcony and waited for him to jump to the next balcony over. She breathed a small sigh of relief when he successfully made the jump. As a surfer, he had impeccable balance but she didn't like for him to be the one taking the risks for her case. She left the room to wait for him in the hallway and to keep watch. He left the adjacent room a minute later.

"All set," he said, closing the door behind him.

"Good work, partner," she smiled. "We'll make a gumshoe of you yet."

"And actually work for a living?" he deadpanned. "So, I was thinking we'd change into swimsuits and hit the beach. It looks like a great afternoon for surfing, you want to give it a go?" he said, opening the door to their room.

"It's been awhile since I've been on a board," she cringed.

He nodded. "Probably since last summer, right?"

"Yeah," she admitted. She's only been surfing a handful of times, and only with Logan. She's never been completely comfortable in the water, and she isn't a strong swimmer. Logan's been the only one to get her out into the water and onto a surfboard.

Logan smiled reassuringly. "Well, that's okay. We can start right back where we left off."

She wonders if there's double entendre in that statement as she follows him into their room.

* * *

Logan and Veronica spent the afternoon out on the water. Veronica struggled to keep up with Logan as they paddled out. Having not quite mastered the pop-up, Veronica spent more time under water than on the board catching the waves, but by the end of their session, she had improved tremendously. Finally too tired to continue, she returned to the shore to watch Logan continue to surf.

Lounging on the beach towels, under the shade of resort umbrellas, she toweled herself off and reapplied her sunscreen. Never much for sun, she made certain she wouldn't burn. Logan was always tanned, spending so much time out on the water. But she was a product of spending so much time out at night, lurking around motel parking lots, tailing people. Another way they differed.

She watched him out on the ocean, completely at ease. Surfing was something he excelled at, and she hates to admit it, but the weight lifting classes have done wonders for both his athletic abilities, and his physique. He rode the wave as it broke, executing an off-the-lip maneuver. He was amazing on the water; she smiled slightly as he finished and dropped down onto his board. He was lean and muscular, with washboard abs. She shakes herself, trying not to think about it.

She looked up as two people walked along the beach. She took a closer look through her camera lens, briefly, before turning back to look at Logan. It was definitely them; she recognized the woman from her photographs. Her dognappers had arrived.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Veronica was relieved to see Logan coming back to the shore. _Here's our chance to meet the dognappers._ Veronica waved at Logan, and jogged over to meet him at the shore.

She handed him a towel and gave him a convincing kiss.

"Um, thanks," Logan smiled, noticing the couple over her shoulder as they approached.

"Oh, hey, excuse me! I'm sorry to bother you. Could you take our picture?" Veronica asked.

"Sure, no problem," the man said, taking the camera from Veronica. "Oh, how do you work this thing? Pretty fancy equipment."

"Sorry! I'm a photographer so don't feel bad. Here, it's this one right here. It should be on auto focus."

"Okay, then. Smile," the man said, snapping a photo of her and Logan, Logan's arm around her waist.

"Thank you so much! I'm Veronica, by the way, and this is my husband, Logan Echols."

"Echols? Aaron and Lynn's son, right?" the woman asked. Bingo, thought Veronica.

"Yeah, that's me. We just got married, decided to come down here for some relaxation. I used to come here all the time with my parents as a kid, thought Veronica would like it."

"And I do, it's so beautiful. I can't wait to check out the spa tomorrow. Have you been to the spa yet… oh, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Marta. This is my husband, Paul. We actually just got here."

Fake names, Veronica noted.

"Nice to meet you guys. Well, if you're interested in hitting the spa tomorrow, I hear there is this seaweed wrap that is just amazing. Give me a call, we're in suite 852."

"Oh, well, that's convenient. We're in 850. I'm sure we'll see you around."

"Great! Enjoy your walk!" Veronica waved, pulling Logan over to the beach towels. She handed him a bottle of sunscreen and had him reapply it to her back, while they giggled and whispered conspiratorially, Logan planting kisses along her neck. Once the other couple was out of sight, Veronica turned to Logan.

"You did very well. I think they like us."

"How could anyone not like us? We're awesome."

"Well, yeah. What do you say we get cleaned up? It's almost time for dinner."

* * *

While Veronica showered, Logan went down to chat with his new friend, Flora. She confirmed that Mr. and Mrs. Peterson had dinner reservations at 7. He made their reservations for 6:30 and asked her to seat them somewhere near them.

When he went back up to the room, he found Veronica seated at the vanity, wrapped in a bath towel, taking a curling iron to her freshly dried blond hair.

He stood for a moment and stared at her, before speaking. "We're all set for dinner, our reservations are at 6:30. I'll go shower."

"All right. I'll just be another 20 minutes anyway." She saw him strip off his shirt and throw it on the ground before heading into the bathroom.

As she applied her dark eye shadow, she considered how many times this same scene had played out in their lives. Seated at the vanity in his hotel suite, getting ready for some party or event. She remembers New Year's Eve, when they went to the Neptune Ball.

_"Oh my God, Logan, aren't you ready yet? You spend more time primping than any girl I know."_

"_It takes a lot of work to be this pretty, you know. You should appreciate the effort I go to in looking good for my woman," he said, standing in just his bath towel, as he gelled his hair._

"_Oh, baby, I do appreciate you," she wrapped her arms around his bare waist, kissing his back.  
_

"_Then you should show it more. You never send me flowers, or buy me those chocolates I really like. When was the last time you bought me jewelry?"_

"_Are you kidding? I show my appreciation in other ways."_

"_Such as…?"_

She recalls she pulled off his bath towel at that point, and they barely made it downstairs to the ball before midnight.

She mentally shook herself, and continued applying her make-up. There had been limited conversation between their next-door neighbors since they got to the room. She hadn't heard any barking, so where's the dog?

She sprays herself with perfume then slips into her sapphire blue cocktail dress. Her skin is sun-kissed, despite her best efforts at sunscreen, and it gives her a light glow. Her hair is pinned up in the back, with tendrils of blonde curls framing her face. She thinks she can almost pass for Hollywood. She's wearing a designer gown, by someone named Carmen Marc Valvo, made of taffeta with a v-neck that gives the illusion of cleavage, and very form-fitting. It isn't something she would have chosen for herself, but she admits she looks good.

Logan comes out of the bathroom wearing his tuxedo pants and his shirt, unbuttoned. "You haven't seen my cuff links have you, I think I set them…" he stopped and stared at her. "You look amazing."

Veronica smiled at him, before picking up his cuff links. "Thanks. Here, let me help."

She fastened his cuff links, something she's done several times in the past. Without thinking, she starts buttoning his shirt. She stops herself and apologizes. "Sorry. Old habits, I guess."

He nods and finishes buttoning his shirt. He finishes dressing quickly, and they leave the hotel suite in silence.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

She thinks it's simply too much. But she's a professional. Whatever she's feeling, whatever he expects, it is all suppressed for appearances.

So when Logan had her pinned against the hallway wall with his pelvis, kissing her roughly, his hand inching up the back of her thigh and under her dress… who's she kidding? She couldn't even see straight, let alone focus on the job at hand. She knew he heard the whimper she'd let slip. Damn him.

She only opened her eyes when Logan stopped kissing her.

"It's clear, let's go," he whispered.

She needed a moment to regain her faculties before she could pull out her lock-picking equipment and unlock the door to the hotel office.

According to Flora, the "Petersons" had checked a laptop with the front desk staff while they were at dinner. The laptop was locked in the accounting office. Logan and Veronica were able to make it to the office while the Petersons had just been served their main course. Nearly getting caught by an assistant manager, Logan thought quickly and pulled her into a kiss. A good cover, but Veronica was still trembling as she fumbled with the door.

"Got it," she sighed with relief.

Once inside, she quickly accessed the laptop and made an image copy of the hard drive. Since there had been no sign of the dog so far, she needed to figure out what could possibly have happened to it.

Then they can get the hell out of there. She's officially uncomfortable. And in desperate need of a cold shower.

* * *

They return to the room in silence and while Logan called Mac to get assistance on the laptop data, Veronica quickly changed into a tank top and sweat pants. She washed off her make-up, brushed her teeth and combed out her hair. Logan came in to brush his teeth while she was putting on moisturizer. She can't figure out how one minute they're kissing passionately, another minute they're breaking and entering, and then they're slipping back into their old nighttime routine.

While he finished up in the bathroom, she slipped under the covers and turned on the TV. Most of the channels are Spanish language, but she finally found Comedy Central in English with Spanish subtitles. She grabbed her book and started reading through a chapter, as Logan came out of the bathroom and flopped down on the bed to watch TV: their usual routine. Once the show ended, Veronica closed her book and turned out the bedside lamp. She supposed she could make him sleep on the couch, or she could go herself, but what's the point.

Laying there in the dark, something suddenly occurred to her. "Did you mean it when you said you used to come here with your parents?"

"Yeah, I've been here three or four times before. Not this resort, actually, the one just down the beach. It's a little more family-friendly, they have nannies to dump the kids off with, but still has plenty of booze and loose women to satiate my folks. This place is more for romance."

"It's an amazing place. The view of the ocean and the mountains. It's beautiful. The perfect honeymoon spot," she mused.

After a few moments, he commented, "You looked amazing tonight, you know. Every man in the room was looking at you instead of the woman he'd just married."

Veronica smiled, and was glad it was too dark for him to see her blush.

"Seriously, it was all I could do to keep my hands off of you."

She laughed. "Well, you didn't exactly succeed."

"God, I'd been wanting to do that all night," he said breathily.

She breathed in sharply at the admission. The truth was, she'd wanted him to do that all night as well. And once he started, she didn't want him to stop. She thinks he'll do it again now, that he'll pull her close to him and kiss her again, and they'll make love in the moonlight on these satin sheets, as though no time had ever passed.

Logan sat up suddenly and turned on the lamp. Startled, she sat up to look at him.

"This whole trip, Veronica… the way we work together, how easy things are between us. I miss that. I miss you. And it would be so easy to slip back into the old routine, where nothing changes and we end up with the way things were. But I don't want to go back to the way things were. I want something else, something better."

His words hit her hard. The realization also hit her hard that she wants to be with him, she wants to try again. Being without him leaves a void in her life, and she feels incomplete without him. And he was telling her he doesn't want to be with her. She couldn't help it, her eyes filled up with tears.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I'm sorry, I know you can't forgive me and you can't get move forward from the past, from the things I've done."

The tears spilled from her eyes, and she choked back a sob. "Logan, that's not true, I…"

"Isn't it? Damnit, I love you, Veronica. More than I can even begin to describe. So I can't go through losing you again, and I don't know how to move forward, how to build a relationship with you where that doesn't happen."

"What is it you want, then, Logan?" she asked quietly, not knowing what to expect.

"I want you. I want to be with you. I don't want to be here just playing a part, I want it all to mean something. I want to build a life together, one that has permanency. I want you to wear those rings someday for real, not just as a cover, and I want them to mean something. I don't know how to do that, I don't know how to do any of it. It's not like I had a shining example of wedded bliss, and obviously you didn't either. So, I don't know how to make this work, you and me, and it not blow up in our faces. But the only thing I'm sure about is that I want to spend my life with you."

Veronica sat stunned at his words, unable to respond.

He sighed and took her silence to be a rejection. He started to stand up when she grabbed his hand and stopped him, pulling him back to the bed. She didn't say a word; she just kissed him softly.

Finally, she pulled away. "I don't have answers to any of your questions; I'm just as lost as you here. But I want to try. I want to figure out how to be in a healthy relationship and not repeat our mistakes. How do we do that? How do we get there?"

He pushed a strand of blond hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. "Very slowly, I think."

He turned off the light and lay down in the bed, pulling her close. She murmured "I love you," as she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
